Fear grips villagers after Mapithel Dam seepage
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Puyam Romeshwor
Imphal,July 23 2015:
Mapithel Dam Affected Ching-Tam Organization (MDACTO) has sought immediate attention of the State Government to the leakage of the Mapithel Dam.
On Thursday, representatives of MDACTO along with people from several hamlets, including Tumukhong, visited Mapithel Dam which experienced some seepage at the moment.
Organisation secretary Somorjit told reporters that the villagers living near the dam are facing a panic situation now.
Construction of the mega dam began in 1980-81 and now it has submerged six villages�Phaiyang village, Louphong villages, Lamlai Khullen (Ramrei) village, Lamlai Mongbung village, Lamlai Khunou village and Chadong village.
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The Mapithel Dam known as Thoubal Multipurpose Project also is being constructed over Thoubal River, Maphou village in Ukhrul district.
The main purpose of the dam is to provide drinking water, irrigation, electricity, water management and others.
Residents of Tumukhong, Itham and Moirang Purel are now living in fear of a possible dangerous flood due to the dam leakage, Somorjit alerted the Government.
He appealed to the Government to look into the matter to prevent calamity and demanded that an �alarm bell' be installed soon so that alert can be sounded any time to the villagers to protect themselves from the possible deluge.
The MDACTO leader called upon the Government to focus on providing economic rehabilitation to the affected villagers residing on the downstream of Mapithel Dam.
The mega dam has deprived villagers of their livelihood, he said.
An engineer at Mapithel Dam told journalists that there is no need to fear about the seepage on the dam and that development of the dam is still underway.
The engineer insisted that all earth dams have some seepage overtime and that the present leakage on the Mapithel Dam is not threatening.
Villagers of Tumukhong said that earlier they had many places where they could earn their livelihood, but because of the mega dam now they have lost everything thereby causing hardships for them in earning a reasonable livelihood.